WSU had one of their best defensive halves in their entire season but LMU turned the game over in the second half leading to a 67-66 loss. 

The loss moves the Cougars down multiple spots, now eighth place in the WCC. This is the second-loss in a row for WSU and they are in risk of falling to the ninth spot below LMU. 

WSU ended up turning the ball over 17 times compared to LMU’s six. The marginal difference is what killed the Cougars, who on paper seemed to play a great offensive game. 46% from the field and 45% from behind the arc is how WSU ended up keeping it close. 

The game started hot for Washington State who took a 39-24 lead going into halftime. LMU had not made a single 3-point shot. The Cougars themselves were scoring at a good pace and making seven 3-pointers just in the first half. 

Leading WSU at the start was Rihards Vavers who ended the half with 9 points. Vavers only scored 3 more points. His impact that has been felt in recent games was dearly missed in the second half. 

LMU started taking advantage of the poor offensive start from Washington state and started picking their way back into the game. LMU guard Myron Amey Jr. nailed a 3-pointer just 10 seconds into the half. That shot would give a story to the scoring that eventually led to LMU securing the win. Amey Jr. wound up with 31 points and five steals, wreaking havoc on offense and defense.  

LMU scored 43 points to WSU’s 27 in a complete reversal coming out of the half. Another killer of the night was free-throws for WSU. LMU had 11 more free-throw attempts than the Cougars and ended up making nine more. The Cougars had advantages in all shooting categories, but the combination of free-throws and turnovers sealed their fate. 

WSU is now 1-10 on the road with their lone win coming against Portland in December. Throughout the second-half  the Cougars got caught on their heels defensively, with head coach David Riley attributing poor defensive execution for the 15-point blown lead. 

“We got to trust our teammates in these tough environments and that’s the difference in the game,” Riley said about losing in road games. 

The overall star of the game for Washington State was Ace Glass who finished the game at 20 points with 9-16 makes from the field. Glass’s efforts could not carry the Cougars who ended up down four with not enough time left on the clock before Glass could hit an all but meaningless 3-pointer to end the game. 

The Cougars look to bounce back in the final regular season game against Pepperdine at 5 p.m. Saturday.